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FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: cattleFEeder on August 24, 2016, 09:24:43 PM

Title: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: cattleFEeder on August 24, 2016, 09:24:43 PM

Does anybody know how to decipfer this block ?

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: BH107 on August 24, 2016, 10:27:00 PM

Oct of 1970, making it a service block.

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: cattleFEeder on August 25, 2016, 06:15:02 AM

Thank you, didn't know they made side oilers that late. When did they stop casting them?

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: Autoholic on August 25, 2016, 04:56:34 PM

Here is all the info you will need to read Ford's date codes of the era. Many Ford parts use this, ignition coils are different.

http://www.fordification.com/tech/datecodes.htm

Other useful date code info...

http://www.mustangtek.com/FordDateDecoding.html

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: BruceS on August 25, 2016, 06:55:37 PM

I think an important thing to remember in date codes is Ford didn't use the letter "I".  The letters designating the month progress thru the alphabet omitting the letter I.  I imagine this was so the letter I wouldn't be confused with the number 1.  So the 9th month (September) would use the letter K. 

Bruce

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: thatdarncat on August 25, 2016, 07:18:21 PM

Quote from: BruceS on August 25, 2016, 06:55:37 PM

I think an important thing to remember in date codes is Ford didn't use the letter "I".  The letters designating the month progress thru the alphabet omitting the letter I.  I imagine this was so the letter I wouldn't be confused with the number 1.  So the 9th month (September) would use the letter K. 

Bruce

The letter O was omitted as well, so as not to confuse with Zero. There are exceptions to the common date coding ( Carbs, some exhaust manifolds and so on ). 50's era Fords, including our FE's, use some different coding as well.

Not sure when the final 427 block was cast, but they were made into at least 1972.

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: Autoholic on August 26, 2016, 08:25:18 PM

According to Wikipedia, the FE engine was last used in 1976.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: thatdarncat on August 26, 2016, 08:45:06 PM

Quote from: cattleFEeder on August 25, 2016, 06:15:02 AM

Thank you, didn't know they made side oilers that late. When did they stop casting them?

I took CattleFEeder's question to be when 427 Sideoiler blocks were last cast, and not just FE's in general. I'm not sure if anyone has taken a last 427 date code poll, I did a quick search on the other FE forum the other day but didn't see any answer to that question. The information in the picture below from the Ford Off Highway Parts newsletter was published November 1972, so that's what I'm basing the "..into at least 1972" reply on.

(http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff437/red0wl/OHO%20427%20notice%20rs.jpg) (http://s1235.photobucket.com/user/red0wl/media/OHO%20427%20notice%20rs.jpg.html)

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: cattleFEeder on August 26, 2016, 10:22:43 PM

Thanks for all the info guys, but starting Monday this block is coming back to life as a 482. It has sat bare for 30 years.

Title: Re: 427 side oiler date code
Post by: wsu0702 on August 29, 2016, 07:28:25 PM

Quote from: cattleFEeder on August 25, 2016, 06:15:02 AM

Thank you, didn't know they made side oilers that late. When did they stop casting them?

The last 427 SOs were cast at DIF in early 1974.  After 360/390 production moved to MCC in the '72-'73 period DIF was only casting 427 service and 428 service/industrial blocks. I have an April '74 428 service block that is the latest DIF cast FE block that I have seen so far.